Tag: England rugby

Future English U20s to watch

In the brief lull in U20 rugby that follows the Six Nations and precedes the World Rugby U20 Championship, the age-grade focus in the northern hemisphere turns to the U18s.

The Home Nations have been playing one another for the last few weeks, with young players eager to impress and earn senior academy contracts at their respective clubs, provinces or regions, as well as lay down markers for U20 representation and senior domestic action next season.

We identify some of the more impressive English prospects graduating from U18 rugby this season and give you some names to look out for over the coming years.

 

Front Row

Tom Rowland, Bristol

This loosehead made his senior club debut for Bristol earlier this season in the Anglo-Welsh Cup and is set to keep up the club’s impressive recent tradition of producing talented players at the position, with Ollie Dawe and Ellis Genge preceding him over the last two years.

It wasn’t the best U18 season for Bristol from a results perspective, but they showed the makings of a potentially dominant front row and Rowland was at the heart of that. With current U20 looseheads Dawe and Ralph Adams-Hale no longer eligible next season, Rowland could find himself in a competition with Gloucester’s Alex Seville for the vacant one jersey.

Marcus Street, Exeter Chiefs

Another young prop to have made his senior club debut this season, Street has also featured for England U20s, with the tighthead being fast-tracked into the team for the wins over Italy and Scotland in the Six Nations. He is the first front rower fast-tracked into the U20s since Jack Walker was called up in 2014.

Another year of work on and off the pitch should see Street challenge Ciaran Knight and Joseph Morris for the tighthead spot in his first season of U20 rugby proper. If there is truth in the rumours of Tomas Francis heading to Cardiff Blues, then that should open up more playing opportunities for Street at club-level, too.

Honourable Mentions: Nick Rigby (Worcester Warriors), Will Capon (Bristol), Kieran Verden (Bath), George Head (Harlequins), Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers), Nic Dolly (Sale Sharks)

 

Second Row

Ted Hill, Worcester Warriors

Like Street, Hill also made his U20 bow this season, whilst still being eligible for the U18s. There’s a good chance he travels to Georgia this summer for the World Championship, most likely as a second row, but if Zach Mercer is required in Argentina with the senior England squad, Hill’s ability to also play No 8 will work further in his favour.

The Worcester academy has really kicked into gear over the last couple of years – only Saracens and Sale have contributed more players to England’s U18 and U20 sides this season – and alongside Jamie Shillcock, Hill may be the standout prospect to have come through in the last four or five years.

Joel Kpoku, Saracens

This giant lock was a surprising omission from the current England U18 squad but his talents have been recognised by his club, who have quickly moved to sign him up to a senior academy deal. He looked like a man amongst boys at times during the U18 Premiership season and follows in the footsteps of George Kruis, Maro Itoje and Nick Isiekwe, as the latest in a line of talented second rows coming out of North London.

Kpoku has previous experience in the London Skolars (rugby league) academy and he’s far from shabby with ball in hand as a result. He made his senior bow in the Anglo-Welsh Cup this season and with Kruis and Itoje likely to continue as key figures in Eddie Jones’ England side, there should be more opportunities for Kpoku next season.

John Okafor, Harlequins

Okafor was an important part of Harlequins’ academy league-winning squad this season and has achieved half the battle, securing a senior academy deal at the club. Quins are notoriously stingy handing out these deals, prioritising quality over quantity, and the fact Okafor has been rewarded with one is a clear indication that they see something special in him.

He will join Kpoku and Hill in attempting to single themselves out as the best possible partner to Isiekwe in the England U20 engine room next season, whilst opportunities should come at Quins in the form of the Anglo-Welsh Cup.

Honourable Mentions: Joe Tunney (Wasps), James Scott (Worcester Warriors), James Dun (Bristol), Charlie Pozniak (Sale Sharks)

 

Back Row

Tom Willis, Wasps

This bruising ball-carrier was key for Wasps in their march to the U18 league finals day this year and he has that rare ability to seemingly always break the gain-line. His older brother Jack represented the U20s last season and it’s something Tom will have in his sights for 2017/18, with Mercer currently in his last year of U20 eligibility.

After the quiet years that followed the unearthing of Christian Wade, Billy Vunipola and Elliot Daly, Willis is leading a resurgence in Wasps’ academy. Alongside Ehize Ehizode and Leicester Tigers-developed Jacob Umaga, Wasps are sitting on three of the brightest talents in English rugby.

Sam Moore, Sale Sharks

The Sedbergh product is highly-thought of at Sale and should everything to go to plan in their development, Sale could be sitting on an entirely home-grown rear five of Josh Beaumont, George Nott, Tom Curry, Ben Curry and Moore in the coming years.

Moore has a long way to go yet to be considered with that group of players, but he has time on his side and the opportunity to learn from Josh Strauss next season. Like Willis, Moore will be in contention to fill the void left by Mercer in the England U20s next season.

Sean Reffell and Andy Christie, Saracens

This pair not only play together at Saracens and for England U18s, but they also both represented Harrow School. Reffell is already singling himself out as a very adept openside, whilst Christie’s best position might still be up for debate, but what’s certain is that – in the right back row balance – both can be very effective players.

Reffell and Christie aren’t the first Saracens in this list of players to watch and they won’t be the last, either, such is the exceptional work the club has been doing in their academy over the last five years. As for their U20 prospects next year, they will join a congested group that will still include both Curry twins, captain Ben Earl, Jack Nay, Zac Xiourouppa and likely the trio of Hill, Willis and Moore.

Honourable Mentions: Josh Basham (London Irish), Charlie Wright (Exeter Chiefs), Aaron Hinkley (Gloucester)

 

Half-backs

Will Porter, Wasps

This lively scrum-half captains Wasps and England at U18 level and is very much built in the mould of both Joe Simpson and Dan Robson, making the duo excellent mentors for him. His sniping runs have caught club and international defences flat-footed this season, whilst his distribution from the base is also noteworthy.

After years of relatively little production at the scrum-half position in the England U20 side, that trend has been arrested this year with Jack Maunder, Harry Randall and Rory Brand all impressing at either club or international level and Porter should fill the space vacated by Maunder next season.

Marcus Smith, Harlequins

Smith is a very naturally-talented fly-half and displays all the balance, attacking instinct and vision you could want from a young playmaker. He featured in the Premiership 7s for Quins last year, made an early U20 bow during the Six Nations and orchestrated a dismantling of France U18s a couple of weeks later.

The game tends to be a bit looser at U18 level, so it’s difficult to assess the consistency of his game-management skills until he plays at senior level for Quins or at least more U20 rugby, but if he continues to work hard and develop, there’s no reason why he can’t become the club’s long-term successor to Nick Evans. His competition with James Grayson for the England U20s fly-half jersey should be a fun battle to watch next season.

Unfortunately, we can’t delve into every player here, but it is also worth noting Leicester’s Tom Hardwick and Sale’s Kieran Wilkinson at this point, both of whom have tremendous potential and can become Premiership starters in the long-term, but who may be kept out of the England U20s by the impressive duo of Smith and Grayson.

Honourable Mentions: Ollie Fox (Yorkshire Carnegie), Cameron Kelemeti (Newcastle Falcons), Charlie Chapman (Gloucester), Kieran Wilkinson (Sale Sharks), Tom Hardwick (Leicester Tigers), Manu Vunipola (Saracens)

 

Centres

Cameron Redpath, Sale Sharks

A dual fly-half-inside centre, Redpath fits the mould of what the England U20s like in their first and second receivers, but will have his work cut out breaking into a group that will still have Umaga and Will Butler next season, as well as the fly-halves mentioned above.

That versatility will help him at age-grade level, as well as with Sale, who should use him in the Anglo-Welsh Cup next season and have a made a clear statement of intent this year about securing their best young talent on long-term deals. If England don’t come calling, Redpath is also eligible for Scotland and could choose to go down that path.

Oli Morris, Saracens

Dom Morris is currently with the England U20s and was part of the squad that won the World Championship in 2016, leaving quite the boots to fill for younger brother, Oli. An outside centre like his older brother, Oli was a constant attacking threat for Saracens U18s this season and has provided the same threat to England at that level.

With both his older brother and Max Wright in their last year of U20 eligiblity, the 13 jersey could be open next season, although moving Butler out from 12 or bringing Gabriel Ibitoye in from the wing are two other possibilities to fill it.

Fraser Dingwall and Fraser Strachan, Northampton Saints

The two Frasers have been in good form for Northampton’s U18 side for the last two seasons and both have featured for England this season. Alongside Grayson, Northampton have a trio of talented midfielders to potentially build around in the future, if all three keep developing.

With players like Umaga, Ibitoye and Butler all set to be key next year, opportunities may be few and far between for this pair in their first year of eligibility, but they can play their way into the rotation and garner experience before taking on more prominent roles in the 2018/19 season.

Honourable Mentions: Sam Spink (Wasps), Dion King (Worcester Warriors)

 

Back three

Ben Loader, London Irish

A wing or full-back, Loader has been making waves at London Irish and at age-grade levels for England and could feature alongside his club teammate Tom Parton for the U20s next season. Throw Ratu Joe Cokanasiga into the mix, too, and London Irish have all the makings of a very formidable back three, if the trio can be retained.

If Irish can avoid any upsets in the playoffs and make it back to the Premiership, the Anglo-Welsh Cup will be a valuable source of playing time for Loader and a platform from which to throw his name into the U20 mix.

Cadan Murley, Harlequins

Another member of Harlequins’ academy league-winning side, Murley shares some similarities with fellow Harlequin and current England U20, Ibitoye. Both players are quick and elusive, albeit not the tallest, as well as being able to play at both outside centre and on the wing. The pair’s defensive work and understanding is also impressive and shows a good knowledge of the game’s fundamentals.

The pecking order on the wing at Harlequins is long and hard to climb, with Sam Aspland-Robinson, Robbie Nairn and Jonas Mikalcius seemingly next in line for a spot in the senior team, making any age-grade opportunities that come Murley’s way next season extremely important.

Elliot Obatoyinbo, Saracens

Obatoyinbo has some of the nicest footwork you’ll see at any level and is comfortable across the back three, having played both wing and full-back at Saracens and for England U18s. He will get the opportunity to work with and learn from two contrasting full-backs in Alex Goode and Liam Williams next season, something which should help him as he develops.

The Saracen could push Parton for the full-back spot with England U20s next season or compete with Loader and Murley for the spot vacated by Aspland-Robinson. Either way, Obatoyinbo is one to watch.

Tom Seabrook, Gloucester

Seabrook had a very productive season with an attacking Gloucester U18 side and he has carried that form and clinical finishing into his England U18 duties. Another versatile back who can play multiple positions in the line, Seabrook is the latest in a rapidly lengthening line of multi-positional England age-grade players.

England will need to rotate even more heavily next season if they are to get a look at all four of these back three players in the U20s and whilst that will hurt the team’s consistency, it’s another sign of English rugby’s rude health and bright future.

Honourable Mentions: Chris Annous (Saracens), AJ Cant (Exeter Chiefs), Miles McDuffus (Harlequins), Arron Reed (Sale Sharks), Iwan Hughes (Bristol)

England vs France: Post-match analysis

It’s difficult to be too critical of the England U20s’ recent track record, with the side having lifted three of the last four World Rugby U20 Championships, as well as making it to the final of the competition in the year they couldn’t secure the title.

If there has been one persistent criticism, however, it is that they have started their seasons slowly, whether that be a result of players being unavailable due to club commitment, coaches experimenting with selections or the squad just not hitting the ground running as well as their U20 Six Nations rivals.

By the time the summer and the U20 Championship rolls around, the squad is usually a far different and more formidable proposition. If that trend is to continue this season, then it’s an ominous portent for the rest of the world, after England shot out of the blocks on Saturday, defeating France, 59-17, at Sandy Park.

It was a clinical and complete performance from England, who only welcomed their coaching team of Ian Vass, Louis Deacon and Tom Williams into camp a week prior to the game, against a decent French side that were made to look dramatically out of their depth.

We take a closer look at the performance of the squad and how they coped in the different facets of the game.

Set-piece inconsistencies

The most obvious area for England to work on ahead of their trip to Colwyn Bay to take on Wales in the second round is their set-piece.

There were initial struggles against the behemoth French pack in the scrum and the lineout wasn’t a consistent platform to build attacks from, despite the impressive work of loosehead Ollie Dawe and lock Nick Isiekwe in the two areas respectively.

It’s an understandable issue, with the coaches having only recently come on board and with eight of the nine tight five forwards in the matchday 23 playing U20 rugby for the first time.

The unit improved as the game went on, with tighthead Joseph Morris growing into the game and clearly outlasting his French adversary, whilst hooker Joe Mullis built an improving rapport with Isiekwe, who was England’s first, second and third option in the lineout.

Contact area excellence

The breakdown, however, was an area where England prospered from the first minute to the last, with the contact area skills of captain Ben Earl, Premiership regular Tom Curry and sometimes openside flanker Mullis all at the forefront of England’s quick attacking ball. It’s historically an area the England U20s have struggled in, but that trend looks to be bucked this season.

Combined with the front-foot ball that the likes of Earl, Isiekwe and Zach Mercer delivered around the fringes, England were able to keep the French defence disorganised and had the intelligence to pick apart the mismatches that it delivered.

Midfield general

Fly-half Max Malins, after being deployed at full-back last season, ran the show with aplomb from the armchair that his pack delivered to him.

Whether carving through the French defence as a runner, playing centres Will Butler and Max Wright into holes or using his boot to pin France inside their own 22, the stand-off looked to the manor born back in the position that he plays at for both Saracens and formerly at U18 level with England. He deservedly picked up the man of the match award for a fine overall performance and has laid down a marker at the position that both Theo Brophy Clews and Jamie Shillcock will be hard-pressed to overcome ahead of the World Championship in the summer.

The back three of Ratu Joe Cokanasiga, Tom Parton and Sam Aspland-Robinson showed their threat, all crossing the try line, with the power of Cokanasiga and the footwork of Aspland-Robinson at the fore.

Ball-handling forwards

Their ability to have a significant effect on the game was a product of not only the handling and savvy of the centres, Butler and Wright, but also the forward pack, who were not afraid to hold their width in the wide channels and displayed the ball-handling skills that so often set New Zealand forwards apart from the rest of the world.

Isiekwe, as he was being brought to ground, made a pinpoint offload to Wright, who then unleashed Butler for his try, whilst Mercer’s involvement with the Bath senior team this season looks to have clearly paid off, with the number eight proving a very proficient link man.

In fact, the chemistry that Mercer had with Malins and both wings – in taking the fly-half’s passes on the gain line and immediately knowing where his outside support was – was reminiscent of what Kieran Read does in his pomp for the Crusaders and All Blacks.

Strong bench impact was delivered in the forms of versatile backs Jacob Umaga and Gabriel Ibitoye, with the pair helping to add an element of a cricket score to the final result. Spotting a gap in the defensive line, Umaga darted through it to set up Parton for his try, whilst Ibitoye made a “round the world” offload for Aspland-Robinson’s score that wouldn’t have looked out of place on the basketball court.

England’s eyes will now be firmly set on Wales and if Vass and Deacon can fine-tune the set-piece, there is no reason why the squad cannot be confident about going to Wales and picking up a result against last season’s Grand Slam winners.

Influential number eight Mercer could be recalled by Bath as the Premiership resumes, which will prompt a rejig of the back row, but with the versatility in the group – Earl has experience of playing eight – they will be optimistic of their prospects without the Bath man.

With the likes of Brophy Clews, Jack Maunder and Ben Curry still to be added to this group, the future continues to look bright for England and, even at this early stage, they look like a very good bet to retain their world title this summer, as well as lifting their sixth U20 Six Nations trophy.

England 2017 U20 Six Nations Squad Breakdown

Following Martin Haag’s resignation in October of last year, there has been an unusual hush around the England U20s.

That silence was finally broken earlier today when the 32-man squad for the 2017 U20 Six Nations was announced.

There was no announcement of a new head coach, which – as we understand it – means that the Rugby Football Union’s head of international player development, Dean Ryan, will take control of the squad.

We kick off our coverage of that tournament by taking a close look at the players selected and what the fans can expect from them over the next two months.

It is worth noting before delving into the squad that a number of the players named have been in regular action for their Aviva Premiership sides so far this season and could well be kept back for club duty during the tournament. Of those regularly featuring U20-eligible players, only Paolo Odogwu has not been included in the EPS and presumably Sale Sharks have deemed him too integral to their plans to feature at all for England.

Right, into the squad.

Squad Breakdown: Forwards

Starting up front, the props and hookers in the EPS may be the biggest question mark in this class. It’s an area where England have always prospered at age-grade levels but it’s an inexperienced group, with only Jake Pope and Curtis Langdon (both Sale Sharks) having played for the U20s previously.

Pope is joined by Alex Seville, Ciaran Knight (both Gloucester), Joseph Morris (Worcester Warriors) and Ollie Dawe (Bristol) in the squad’s prop department, with the Gloucester duo and Morris having represented England U18s last season and Dawe doing likewise in 2015.

There is definitely potential in the group but it is largely untested at U20 level and that’s a theme that permeates the entire front row, with hookers Langdon and Jamie Blamire (Newcastle Falcons) not having a wealth of experience between them.

Langdon was a part of the London Irish U18 side that won the Aviva Academy League last season and was a driving force behind that campaign with his work at the set-piece, as well as winning three caps with the England U20s and would be the likely candidate to start against France on Saturday 4th February.

Experience is sparse in the second row, also, with locks Nick Isiekwe (Saracens), Ted Hill, Justin Clegg (both Worcester Warriors) and Josh Caulfield (Exeter Chiefs) all stepping up from U18 duty last season. What the group lacks in experience, however, it more than makes up for in potential.

Isiekwe is very highly-thought of at Saracens’ academy and was unlucky not to be fast-tracked into the U20s last year, such were his physical performances at U18 level, whilst Hill has been fast-tracked this year and already cuts a physically-daunting figure for a 17-year-old.

The back row is stacked with class, most notably Tom and Ben Curry (both Sale Sharks) and Zach Mercer (Bath), all of whom have featured regularly in the Premiership and Europe so far this season. Mercer has even caught Eddie Jones’ eye with his barnstorming performances for Bath.

From the video below, that comes courtesy of BathRugbyTV, you can see that Mercer’s youth is no barrier to effective communication and leadership on the pitch.

If made available by their clubs, this trio would almost certainly make up the starting back row.

Depth and competition behind them is provided by Jack Nay, Ben Earl (both Saracens), Zac Xiourouppa (Worcester Warriors) and Joe Mullis (Gloucester). Earl is a powerful number eight and the obvious replacement for Mercer if Todd Blackadder can’t afford to part with the young man, whilst Mullis is a dual hooker-openside, that represents a throwback to the amateur era. Nay and Xiourouppa, the latter of whom has picked up European experience in the Challenge Cup this season, will offer options on the flanks.

Squad Breakdown: Backs

After a number of years of slim pickings at the scrum-half position, England are spoiled this season.

Harry Randall (Gloucester) featured for the U20s last season after being fast-tracked as a result of injuries at the position and represents the archetypal sniping half-back, with the acceleration to make himself a threat at the fringes. Jack Maunder (Exeter Chiefs) has shown really nice balance to his game with the Exeter first team this season, featuring heavily in the Champions Cup, including the club’s recent visit to the Stade Marcel-Michelin to take on Clermont, and Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints) is the younger brother of former England U20 scrum-half James Mitchell.

With Will Chudley injured at Exeter, it may be that Maunder’s services are required in the south-west, so don’t be too surprised if this ends up as a Randall-Mitchell tag team for the Six Nations, with Maunder coming in for the World Championship in the summer.

At fly-half there are three clear options, Jamie Shillcock (Worcester Warriors), Theo Brophy Clews (London Irish) and Max Malins (Saracens). All three featured for the U20s last season, albeit in differing fashions.

Brophy Clews took on the mantle of starting fly-half, Malins was deployed at full-back and Shillcock was used to cover England’s injury crisis at scrum-half. Since then, Shillcock has gone on to play a significant role for the Worcester first team at both fly-half and full-back and has made up plenty of ground on Brophy Clews and Malins, both of whom had significant injuries in the second half of 2016.

Shillcock is just another of the players who could find himself yo-yoing in and out of this squad over the next two months due to club commitments, something which could give Brophy Clews and Malins the edge on him. The ability of all three to also play at full-back shouldn’t be disregarded, either, and we could well see at least two of these guys on the pitch at any one time.

Moving on to the centres and both Max Wright (Yorkshire Carnegie) and Dominic Morris (Saracens) return from last year’s group, although neither was an incumbent in the team, with Harry Mallinder and Joe Marchant having been the favoured combination. They are now joined by two U18 graduates in the forms of Jacob Umaga (Wasps) and Will Butler (Worcester Warriors).

Umaga, the son of former Samoa international Mike and nephew of All Black great Tana, is a very gifted playmaking inside centre, who also has experience at fly-half. As adept a ball-carrier as he is a distributor, Umaga will look to fill the Mallinder void in the England side and is one of the many players in this group to keep an eye on beyond the age-grades over the next few years.

Finally, we come to the back three.

Sam Aspland-Robinson (Harlequins) returns for another year with the side, where he is joined by club teammate Gabriel Ibitoye (Harlequins), Ratu Joe Cokanasiga and Tom Parton (both London Irish). As back threes go, it may well be the most potent group England have ever assembled at U20 level, especially factoring in the ability of the three fly-halves to also feature at full-back.

Aspland-Robinson has some of the fastest feet in age-grade rugby, Ibitoye is a well-rounded outside centre/wing who has captaincy experience from U18 level and full-back Parton is playing a significant role in London Irish’s campaign to return to the Premiership.

It is Cokanasiga, however, who is the man to watch. At 6’ 4” and weighing in at 114kg, his physical dimensions alone are a scary proposition, but factor into that his pace, ability to break a tackle and offloading game and you have a wing who can potentially set the Six Nations and World Championship alight this season.

 

 

Without wishing to border on hyperbole, this may be the best England U20 side to have been put together since the classification came into being in 2008.

It is certainly inexperienced and there will be kinks to work out as a result of that, but in terms of current ability and how good these players, on an individual basis, could be in a few years’ time, it would seem to be unrivalled in English history.

With seven of this squad – Curry, Curry, Mercer, Maunder, Shillcock, Brophy Clews, Cokanasiga – currently playing senior rugby, as well as Odogwu and Leicester’s Will Evans not included (for now), it is an unprecedented – across any nation – level of senior involvement for an U20 class.

Time will tell how much we see of these players during the U20 Six Nations but England showed last year that having struggles in the tournament, developing depth and building chemistry, ahead of welcoming those star players into the fold for the summer, can have very beneficial effects.

First up on England’s agenda will be the Six Nations but they will have their eyes on defending their title at the World Championship in the summer and at this point, it would take a very brave man to bet against them.

 

Expected 23 (if all available)

15. Jamie Shillcock

14. Sam Aspland-Robinson

13. Gabriel Ibitoye

12. Jacob Umaga

11. Ratu Joe Cokanasiga

10. Theo Brophy Clews

9. Jack Maunder

1. Ollie Dawe

2. Curtis Langdon

3. Ciaran Knight

4. Nick Isiekwe

5. Josh Caulfield

6. Ben Curry

7. Tom Curry

8. Zach Mercer

 

16. Jamie Blamire

17. Jake Pope

18. Joseph Morris

19. Ted Hill

20. Ben Earl

21. Harry Randall

22. Max Malins

23. Tom Parton